Mario Beginnings
by Microblue
Summary: The complete storyline to the Mario franchise with some filler added.
1. On Their Own

The Mario franchise is very vague about lts storyline, but I, being quite the fan of Mario, have found out all of the little-known secrets &amp; decided to make a story out of lt, using my imagination as filler for the parts that still have yet to be explained. This is the story of the Mario bros..

It was 1958 in Flatbush, Brooklyn. There was a buisness on Flatbush Avenue called, 'Mario Brothers Plumbing', which was faring poorly. At the Video house, the Video's were eating lunch together. Sitting on the left side of the table was a 12-year-old Italian boy with a red shirt, blue overalls &amp; a red cap with his initial printed on lt. His name is Mario Jumpman Video Jr.. To the right of him was his younger brother who is taller &amp; sports green instead of red. His name is Luigi Ossan Video. To Mario's left was his even younger brother, who sports dark pink. His name is Vol Video. Directly across from Mario was a large plumber with a yellow shirt. He is Mario's father, Mario Video Sr.. To his left was a man with a wicked moustache, purple overalls &amp; yellow attire, his brother who he runs the family buisness with, Wario Video Jr.. To his right was his wife, Tina Rigassi-Video. On the North end of the table was Mario &amp; Luigi's grandpa, Giant Wario Video Sr., who started the family buisness &amp; looks like a huge Wario Jr.. In the final seat was their aunt, Luigeena Video, sister of Tina. Mario was eating a slice of toast. Luigi was eating some spaghetti. Vol was eating a slice of pizza. The young Video brothers aspired to go on adventures &amp; to be plumbers like their father &amp; uncle. Mario broke the silence.

"Me, Luigi &amp; Vol want to move out.". "What, why?", asked Mario Sr.. "We want to travel, go on adventures &amp; continue the family buisness.".

Wario glared at Mario, causing him to stop eating. There was a moment of silence.

"Well, lf that's what yous want to do...", started Mario Sr., before being interrupted by Tina &amp; Luigeena. "What are you, nuts? They're just kids.", said Tina. "They don't know the first thing about life.", said Luigeena. "Well, hold on. Mario isn't a kid anymore. He's a preteen.". "And what about Luigi &amp; Vol?", interjected Tina. "Vol's ten &amp; he's very smart. I know Mario will take good care of both of them.".

Mario was surprised to find that the whole time, Wario hasn't broken his glare. Giant Wario was around 50 years old &amp; seemed utterly uninterested. He always creeped the boys out, moreso than Wario Jr..

"There's no more discussion. I know my boys can take good care of themselves. They're just like me when I was their age. Now pack up, boys. There's a whole life of wonder ahead.".

Tina &amp; Luigeena eventually stopped arguing &amp; accepted that the boys were all grown up now. They said goodbye to everyone in the dining room, then walked through the living room. Mario was about to open the door to leave when Wario came up behind him, spooking him.

"Goodbye, Uncle Wario.", they all said lowly, out of sync.

He seemed to ignore them.

"Watch out.", he said. "If I ever see any one of yous, I'll come after yous.". "What do you mean?", asked Luigi. "You'll see.". "Okay then. Goodbye.", Mario said as they rushed out without trying to look lt.

They were now on their own, ready to travell the globe &amp; embark on some crazy adventures. But first, they needed jobs. They attended the Brooklyn Plumbers Academy for two years, attempting to get plumbing licenses, so they could work at Mario Brothers Plumbing. Unfortunately, they all failed the test. They were trying, but there was still much for them to know. They tried again for another two years &amp; once again failed.

"This isn't working out, Mario.". "Shut up, Luigi.".

Vol made a weird face at that comment.

"I'm just saying that maybe we should try something else for awhile.". "I guess so.". "How about we go there?".

Vol pointed at a building.

"The Brooklyn Carpentry Academy?", Mario wonderred. "It will have to do, for now.

So, they attended BCA for two years like they did BPA, but this time they all passed.

"We did lt, Mario!", exclaimed Luigi. "Now, we can finally go on some adventures.", said Vol hopefully. "Slow down there. We still need jobs. Who will hire us?", asked Mario. "The Union.", said Luigi.

So, they joined the Union as part-time carpenters. Their adventures were about to begin.


	2. The Gang War

The year was 1964 &amp; the brothers finally saved up enough money to start renting an apartment on Flatbush Avenue. It wasn't much, but lt was a place that they could call home. They moved all of their stuff inside, which wasn't much either. They then left to begin their quest. They stepped outside &amp; in doing so, Luigi noticed some gangsters coming toward them from across the street.

"Hey, yous.", the leader said. "Mario, lt's the Stonekillers.". "Luigi, don't cramp my style. Call me, 'Jumpman'.", Mario said, nudging Luigi, while earning a weird look from Vol. "Who the Hell are yous &amp; why are yous on our turf?", the closest of the three to the leader said.

Luigi &amp; Vol noticed that Mario suddenly took on a tough guy persona never before seen.

"I'm Jumpman. These are my boys Ossan &amp; Vol. We mean no disrespect being here.". "Alright Jumpman, lf you're gonna live on our streets, then you're gonna be in our gang. If you really mean no disrespect, then you'll join the crew.", said the third guy.

Mario shoved Luigi aside before he could say anything that might tick off the gang.

"Ofcourse. We'll be happy to. An enemy of the Diplomats is a friend of ours.".

Luigi &amp; Vol nodded.

"Yous are real Stonekiller material. Where are you from?", the leader said, clearly impressed. "Down the block. We just bought this pad right here.".

Mario pointed to the new apartment.

"Far out. We've got some buisness to take care of. See ya around, Jumpman.".

And with that, the Stonekillers left.

"What was that? Look what you did. Now we're in a gang!", said Vol, steamed. "We don't have a choice. Those guys wanted trouble. I did what I had to.". "How are we going to adventure now?", asked Luigi. "I don't know. Maybe start a gang war.". "Yeah. They'll be so focused on fighting that they'll forget about us.", said Vol. "For now, let's find a place to eat &amp; then call lt a night.", said Mario.

They've been sleeping on park benches for awhile, so for once, they would sleep comfortably. They went to Tony's pizzeria for dinner. They were enjoying their pizza &amp; watching the baseball game on the TV. Out of the corner of Luigi's eye came trouble. He looked over to see te Stonekillers again.

"Hey, uh, Jumpman. It's the boys, coming toward us.".

They didn't notice them at first, but then, the leader locked eyes with Mario.

"Funny seeing you here, Jumpman.". "I should say the same.". "What are yous three doing?". "Watching the game &amp; enjoying a pie.". "Hey, Kalli. Look at that skirt.".

All six heads shifted to an attractive brunette woman in a red dress, who clearly worked there. Mario knew instantly that those guts would bother her. He started considerring his options. Luigi tugged his shirt. He turned to see Luigi gesturing toward the entrance, where a group of Diplomats were walking by. Mario gestured to Vol (because he can get around the easiest) to go over there. Vol slipped out of the seat while Kalli began walking toward the woman, his goons watching enthused. Mario focused on the woman. He had no idea what would happen to her lf she rejected Kalli. Vol was taking too' long. Something was about to start. Mario could feel lt.

"Hey baby. Wanna cruise with me tonight?".

Before she could turn around &amp; say anything, Vol yelled out, "Hit the deck!" &amp; dove to the ground.

Mario &amp; Luigi quickly ducked down in the seat. Gunshots fired through the pizzeria. The Stonekillers reacted instinctively &amp; rushed to pull out their pistols. Kalli was backing toward the exit &amp; using the woman, who was shielding herself with her arms, as a human shield, his gun in his left hand. His goons were making an effort to get in front of him, to protect him from the bullets. The man who always stood to Kalli's left, a short man with a lot of facial hair, took two bullets in his right shoulder &amp; silently yelled to himself. Mario noticed the woman being put into the line of fire &amp; dashed out of his seat to try to save her. Luigi tried to pull him back, but missed. Mario crouch ran through the center of the battlefield with Luigi &amp; Vol watching in fear. He lunged &amp; grabbed the woman, both of them landing behind the counter. Everything happened so quickly that Kalli suddenly noticed his hostage missing. Being vulnerable &amp; having an injured crewmember, they rushed out of the joint &amp; got to their car, driving away before the Diplomats ould catch up. The Diplomats quickly scatterred, hoping to shoot down the Stonekillers. With the battle over, the three carpenters recomposed themselves &amp; looked around at the damage. The place was wrecked, plain &amp; simple. There were bullet holes all on the furniture, people cowerring on the floor &amp; a mess of mozzarella on the walls. As someone got up to call the police, the woman looked upon the face of her savior. Mario hadn't seen her face before, but now he could see how beautiful she was. She had gorgeous eyes &amp; lovely lips.

"Thank you for saving me, mister.". "Call me Jumpman.". "Well, thank you, Jumpman.". "And what's your name, miss?". "Pauline.".


	3. The Bronx Zoo

New Marcibel chapters starting tomorrow.

"Pauline Louise.". "Nice to meet you. Did that guy hurt you?". "No. What happened anyway? One minute I'm going over to talk to my manager, then that man grabs me while people are shooting each other.". "You work here?". "Yeah". "Well, that guy, Kalli, is the leader of the Stonekillers. He was trying to use you to protect himself from the bullets. Me &amp; my brothers had the misfortune of running into these guys earlier today. We joined them so we could avoid trouble, but then they followed us here. You know the Diplomats? They hate them. I saw an opportunity &amp; got my brother to point them in here, It looks like we got rid of them.".

Luigi &amp; Vol came over by Mario.

"These are my two brothers, Ossan &amp; Vol.".

They raised a hand to greet her.

"Hi. What are yous going to do now?". "What we've been trying to do ever since we moved out: adventure.". "Really? That sounds exciting. Where will you go?". "I've always wanted to go to the Bronx Zoo.". "That's the adventure?". "That's just the warm-up. Niagara Falls is the adventure. And then, Australia.". "Can I come? My shift is pretty much over...", she said, looking back on the damage.". "Sure. But lt's getting pretty late. We'll go tomorrow.". "Great. I'll see yous tomorrow.". "Meet us at our apartment. It's 1132 Clarendon on Flatbush.".

They departed for their homes. It's 9:30 in mid-1964. Summer is coming near, but not quite there yet. The brothers had a long day &amp; were naturally exhausted. They had a big day tomorrow &amp; needed their rest, except for Vol. Vol stayed awake for a few hours while Mario &amp; Luigi slept, thinking about something, an odd expression on his face once again.

They slept well &amp; had peaceful dreams. Daylight came through the windows, illuminating the apartment. But what really woke the carpenters was a knocking on their door. Mario rubbed his eyes. He knew that could only be one person.

"Jeez, she came so early. It's only...".

He checks the old digital clock.

"2:30! Dammit!". "Wake up, guys. We're missing out on our first adventure!".

"Oh, shit!".

They started throwing chlothes on &amp; getting ready as quickly as they could. Pauline heard a lot of ruckus through the door. Mario started brushing his teeth &amp; opened the door for her.

"Sorry we woke up so late.", he said with a toothbrush in his mouth. "It's not that late. It's only 1:45.". "1:45, are you sure? Mine says 2:30". "I'm sure. Yours is late.". "1:45, that's not so bad.". "I'll be outside when you're done.". "Okay.".

He closed the door somewhat &amp; finished brushing his teeth. As he was walking out of the bathroom, he nearly bumped into Vol &amp; got startled.

"I hope you're not going to try anything with her.", said Vol. "What do you mean?". "I see the way you look at her. She's what, ten? And you're eighteen. You're too' old for her, Mario.". "I'm sure she's older than that.". "Doesn't matter.". "Hey, I'll like who I want. It's not a crime. It's not like I'm going to ask her out.". "Good.". "Someone didn't sleep well.", Mario said, walking away. "You're right. I didn't.", Vol said, inaudibly.

Pauline waited outside for a good eight minutes before the door finally opened, showing the three carpenters.

"How are we getting there, bus or train?", asked Pauline. "Train.", Mario said.

As they started crossing the street at Clarendon Road, Luigi noticed Wario coming up the block on the right side.

"It's Uncle Wario. Go back, go back!".

They fast-walked back toward the apartment &amp; stopped inside the hallway.

"Why are you hiding from your uncle?". "He's creepy. He said lf he sees us, he'll come after us.", said Mario. "Why would he say that?". "I don't know, but I believe him. We never liked him much anyway.". "He went into Eddie's. Let's go.", said Vol.

They crept past Eddie's &amp; made their way to the subway.

"How much do tokens cost?", asked Pauline. "Zero. We're not getting any.", said Mario. "Huh?".

Mario hopped over the turnstile &amp; motioned for them to do the same.

"Do we really need to hop the train?", asked Pauline. "We pay $300 rent. We don't need to pay for the train too'.", said Mario.

Luigi hopped, then Vol. Pauline went under. The train approached &amp; they boarded. Luckily enough, only four other people were in their car.

"This is exciting. Six years ago, we dedicated ourselves to adventuring. Now, we're finally gonna get to.", said Mario. "Six yea...", Pauline started, but was interrupted by Luigi. "Uh-oh. Look who lt is.".

Everyone turned around &amp; through the window, they could see Kalli &amp; company in the other car.

"Get down.", said Vol.

They sat near the walls, so the Stonekillers couldn't see them.

"Where are they going?", asked Luigi. "I hope to a hospital. That guy has two bullets in his shoulder.", said Vol, concerned. "Let's get to a different car. I don't wanna tangle with those clowns again.".

They went in the opposite direction &amp; crossed over a few cars to be safe. Now they were in a crowded car, filled with hoodlums, but at least they were safe from the Stonekillers. When they got off in Manhattan, they made an effort not to be seen by the gang. They made their way to the second train &amp; departed for the Bronx. They sit around for ten minutes, not speaking to each other.

"I'm hungry. When are we going to get some food, Ma.. Jumpman.", said Luigi accidentally.

Luckily, Pauline didn't notice his mistake, but Mario still gave him an angry look.

"We'll eat when we get there.". "I know a good pasta place nearby.", said Pauline.

Once they exited the subway &amp; ate, they enterred the Bronx Zoo. They saw the snakes &amp; the frogs &amp; they were making their way to the mammal section.

"Whoa. Look at these lions.", Luigi pointed out. "They're huge.", Mario said. "You'd better watch out, Ossan. They might escape &amp; chase after you.". "What? No way. They can't get through this glass.", Luigi tried to reassure himself.

Mario knew he was scared. Luigi was easy to scare.

"Let's go to the house of monkeys.", said Vol.

They enterred the premises of the monkey house &amp; as one could expect, there were a lot of monkeys.

"This one looks like you, Ossan.", Mario said, pointing to a spidermonkey &amp; laughing.

Vol rolled his eyes.

"What's with all these letters?", Luigi asked, passing some monkeys. "L.B., N.R., C.Y., A.F., D.K.. This one's staring right at you, Pauline.". "What? No, lt's not.". "No, seriously. I think he likes you.", Luigi said teasingly.

Pauline playfully nudged him.

"Monkeys are boring. Let's move on.", said Mario. "We still didn't see the petting zoo.", said Pauline.

They visited the petting zoo &amp; the insect section. Then, the park started closing.

"Are we going back home?", asked Vol. "No, there's a motel up the block from the exit.". "We're going to stay here, in the Bronx?", asked Pauline. "Yeah. Tomorrow is Niagara Falls. You said you wanted to come with us.". "Okay, but I have to eventually come back home.".

They stayed at a motel room for the night. The real adventure, according to Mario, would begin the next day.


	4. Gravity

The much awaited fourth chapter has arrove. Boy, this one took awhile, due to me researching everything to ensure that every aspect is accurate. Enjoy.

"And just where do you kids think you're going?".  
"Niagara Falls.", answerred Luigi.  
"You have to buy a token to ride this train.".  
"We never had to buy tokens to ride the other trains.", Mario added.  
"Well, this train is different.".  
"How much is lt?", asked Pauline.  
"20¢ each.".  
"Each?", gasped Luigi.

The brothers looked at each other, as lf debating something using nothing but their pupils.

"What, lt's only 20¢.", said Pauline.  
"Yeah well, not everyone makes as much money as you do.", said Mario.  
"Besides, we pay rent. You don't.".  
"Okay. I'll pay for lt.".

Pauline gave the conductor $1 &amp; gave the change to Mario while enterring the train car.

"You just won the jackpot, Mr. Video. What are you gonna do now?", joked Pauline, in a gameshow host's voice.  
"I'm getting some food. What else would I do with a vethamer?".

As Pauline noticed that Mario passed plenty of good seats, she wonderred aloud, "Where are you going? There's plenty of seats here.".  
"What are you, blitzed? This car is empty. We can't sit here.".  
"Why not?".  
"Because we'll get jumped. Gangs look for people alone in a car, then bag their bread; or worse. The guys that hit these trains make the Stonekillers look like the Family Circus. That's why we're taking the next car.".

They walked into the next car. It only had three people, but lt was enough.  
They finally got to sit after walking all the way there from their motel room.  
Luigi started playing paddleball to pass the time.

"Hey, how'd ya know I'm a Video?", asked Mario, upon recalling Pauline calling him, "Mr. Video".  
"It says on your mailbox. I also know your name isn't, 'Jumpman'.".  
"How did you know that?".  
"Easy. Nobody's name is Jumpman or Ossan or Vol.".  
"Actually, my name is Vol.", Vol corrected.  
"And those are our middle names.".  
"I know why you did lt. So, how bad is your name that you had to make one up?".  
"I'm Mario &amp; that's Luigi.".  
"Those aren't so bad.".

While they were talking, Vol &amp; Luigi started their own conversation.

"What'd ya think of the finale of The Twilight Zone?", asked Luigi.  
"Pretty weird, even for The Twilight Zone.".

After a couple of hours, they departed at Niagara Falls. There were a lot of people at the station &amp; lt was all too' easy to get lost in the crowd.

"Uh-oh", said Mario.  
"What?", asked Luigi.  
"Uncle Wario on the left &amp; Kalli on the right. We're trapped.".  
"Aaaa! Let's get out of here.", Luigi shouted, running.

Mario started laughing &amp; Luigi stopped.

"Just kidding. Why would they be here? I scared you again.".

And so, they got what they came for. They saw the waterfall, took a ride on the Maid Of The Mist &amp; got souvenirs from the gift shop. By the time the day had ended, Mario was wearing a Maid Of The Mist shirt &amp; Luigi a Maid Of The Mist cap.

"Another great adventure.", said Luigi, as they walked back to their house from the Clarendon station.  
"And tomorrow, Australia.", said Mario.  
"Be practical, Mario. We don't have that kind of money. We have jobs to work,  
bills to pay &amp; a house to live in, before people realize we're gone &amp; rob the place.", said Vol.  
"And I have to go home. What would my mom say lf I didn't come back for three days? What would my dad say? ..What would my dad do?".  
"How do you expect to go adventuring with us lf you have to keep coming home all the time?", asked Mario.  
"What else can I do?".  
"You can move in with us.".  
"Uhhh", said Vol, reminding him that there are no guest rooms.  
"You can have my room. I'll sleep on the couch. I usually sleep there anyway.".  
"Hey, I don't know yous that well yet. I'll think of something.".

Once they said their goodbyes &amp; the brothers returned home, Mario was eager to sleep in his bed, but not before orderring pizza. With boring stuff like work &amp; bills coming up the next day, everyone went to sleep early.

[Creak]


	5. On The Inside

There wasn't actually work the next day because lt was a Saturday. Mario thought lt was a Sunday. He's not very organized.

Vol was the only one awake &amp; heard the creak in the floorboards. The hallway light turned on.

"Everybody up.".

Mario &amp; Luigi woke up. They all looked &amp; saw Kalli &amp; company.

"Hey, what's this all about?", asked Mario grumpily, looking dead tired.  
"You thought you could get rid of us? I know what you did at Tony's.".  
"How do you know?", Mario asked suspiciously.  
"Because I'm not stupid. That's how.".  
"Okay, lt was us. We're on a quest &amp; we don't want you slowing us down.".  
"So, you tried to get us killed?".  
"You're alive. Aren't you? What's the problem? In fact, you don't have a scratch on you.".

His two goons looked over &amp; saw that he was right.

"And you were bound to cross them eventually. You'll be ready next time.".  
"You sure know how to talk your way out of things, Jumpman, but we didn't come all of the way here to negotiate.".  
"Then listen. I'm going back to sleep. If you don't move out before that clock goes off, you'll be begging the Diplomats for forgiveness. We have connections, I think you know who to.".  
"There's no way. You're pulling my leg.".  
"Then stick around &amp; see your own face when your wrong. That's not a figure of speech, by the way.".

Luigi, Vol, Kalli &amp; the two other Stonekillers looked at Mario, seeing nothing but a disturbing confidence &amp; gleaming black pupils.

"He's not lying, Kalli.", said the injured guy, flabbergasted.

Kalli looked nervous, but was debating whether or not to scedaddle. Mario was already going back to bed. Luigi &amp; Vol went to their own beds, not wanting to blow this cover. Luigi trusted his brother enough to sleep. Vol kept an eye open.

The alarm clock went off. Mario turned lt off &amp; grabbed some breakfast, not even glancing around. Vol did. The Stonekillers were gone. It was time for Vol to speak up.

"What in the Hell was that?".

Mario nonchalantly faced him.

"Getting them to leave.".  
"You were so serious. I've never seen you like that before. You weren't even scared. You didn't check to see lf they were gone.".  
"I got a good poker face. And ofcourse they're gone. I scared them shitless.".  
"You scared us shitless too'.".  
"So?", he said, turning on the TV, a bowl of cereal in hand.  
"So what happened to you? This isn't you.".  
"A part of me waiting to show ltself.".

Luigi defended Mario. It wasn't the first time.

"What are you trying to prove? Those guys are gone. That's all that matters.".  
"I'm trying to prove that Mario is gone too'. Or at least not yet.".  
"I'm right here. Hey, would you grab me a soda while you're up?", asked Mario.  
"Forget about lt. Nothing happened.", said Luigi.

Vol sighed &amp; grabbed Mario a Mountain Dew. Maybe he was reading in too' deep.

"When's Pauline coming over?", asked Luigi.  
Mario, looking at his watch, "She should be here soon.".

A couple of minutes later, the bell did ring. Mario went to open lt. The door opened &amp; he saw Uncle Wario.

"Gaaaah!", he said, slamming the door.

He was expecting Pauline. He looked out the peephole to make sure lt was him,  
but nobody was there. As he closed the door once again, there was another ring of the bell. He opened lt again.

"Aaaaaaah! What do you want?!".

It was Wario again. Wario just stared him in the eye with that creepy smirk of his as he walked away.

"Yeah? Well, good morning to you too'.".

Just before lt was closed, he noticed Pauline &amp; reopened lt for the second time.

"Oh, you're here. I just had a day brightening visit from Uncle Wario.".

He invited her in &amp; there was yet another ring of the bell.

"Aaagh! Luigi, YOU get lt!.".

Luigi passed them as they came inside.

"Luigi, lt's nice to see you. You've grown so big.".

Mario could tell lt was their mom visiting &amp; he turned around to greet her.

"Volfango Giuseppe Video, come help your mother with the bags!", Tina shouted.  
"Volfango?", Pauline questioned.  
"Who's this Mario, your girlfriend?", asked Tina, now noticing Pauline.  
"Yup. Me &amp; Pauline. We've been together for some time now.", joked Mario.  
"What?".  
"I'm only kidding. Actually, she's just a friend.".  
"Suuure she is.", Tina sarcastically agreed.

Later on, everyone was chatting in the living room, which at night, is Vol's bedroom.

"Uncle Wario rang the bell twice earlier. He didn't say anything. He just walked away. What is up with him?".  
"Uncle Wario lost his mind decades ago.", Tina said pitifully.  
"Why, what happened to him?".  
"Back in 1937, he was a Mafia cappo. There was a traitor among them. Wario was coming from a meeting. He came across the Don's corpse. Wrong place, wrong time. The Underboss blamed him for lt. Instead of killing him, they locked him in a dark room for three weeks. He was never well after that.".  
"What? Wario was a mobster?!".  
"Yes. He really needed the money. He used lt to help found Mario Brothers Plumbing.".

They shared some more stories &amp; then Tina left to gamble some more. 


	6. Dinner & Show

We have a long way to go, so I decided to fast forward a bit. This story is difficult to type because of all of the historical accuracy research I've been conducting &amp; because I'm unmotivated. That combined with business is what the hold up is. I shall attempt to return to the daily routine nonetheless.

One decade &amp; two years passed of boring things like paying bills &amp; working.  
Adventuring always seemed so easy when they were younger. But they devoted themselves to travelling the planet &amp; they would find time to do so no matter the circumstances. They did end up eventually going to Australia &amp; even Europe. Pauline moved out &amp; got her own place, still keeping in touch &amp;  
travelling with the brothers. As the next weekend came around, they prepared for the new adventure with money, maps &amp; food.

"Mario, Pauline is here.", Luigi said, inviting her in.  
"NO! NO! Ah, no!", Mario shouted from his room.  
"I can go lf you want.", Pauline said as Mario came over.  
"Oh, not you. Sorry.", he said.  
"Oh", she relieved. "So where to today?".  
"Nowhere", Mario said, causing everyone to gasp.

Luigi looked the most shocked, being the closest to Mario.

"What do you mean, 'nowhere'?". "You love adventuring.".  
"I do.", Mario said pitifully. "But our money must have got robbed last night while we were at the discoteque.".

Vol emerged from the living room in utter surprise.

"It's all gone?".  
"Every dollar.", Mario said.  
"What do we do now?", asked Luigi.  
"Who could have done this?", Pauline asked.  
"I wish I knew.", Mario sat down at the dining room table hard in thought.  
"You think maybe Kalli is out of jail?", she asked him.  
"No way. Those guys won't ever bother us again after that last visit.".  
"What happened last visit?".  
"Yeah, Mario. What happened?", Vol pushed.  
"That's not important. The point is lt's not them.", he dismissed.  
"Then who?", Luigi asked.  
"For all we know, lt could just be your average thugs.".  
"How did they get in?", Pauline asked.  
"Right through the front door I'm guessing. These guys know how to pick locks.".  
"Are you going to report lt?".  
"Won't do us any good. There's no proof.".  
"How much did they take?".  
"All of our savings. One thousand one hundred bucks.".  
"Looks like there's nothing we can do.", Luigi said.  
"We can still hang out locally.", Mario said, getting up. "From humble beginnings.".

They left the building with Mario locking up.

"We've gotta get a better lock for this.", he surmised, examining the door professionally.  
"Where are we going?", Luigi asked.  
"Movie theatre anyone?".  
"Let's watch Rocky. That looks good.", Pauline said.  
"Yeah, sure.".

Luigi &amp; Vol fell behind, Luigi doing so on intention.

He low talked to Vol, "I know they like each other.".  
"Oh, yeah.", Vol agreed.  
"I'm thinking we ditch them, so something can happen.".  
"Let's do lt.".  
"Hey uh, Mario. Me &amp; Vol are gonna hit the arcades. Have fun.".  
"There's one right there on Tilden Avenue called, 'SLL Arcade'.".  
"Cool".

They left Mario &amp; Pauline alone. Mario &amp; Pauline went to the theatre &amp; snuck into the Rocky auditorium, bringing their own snacks. Pauline got used to Mario not paying over the years. And now more than ever, he really needed the money.

"Remember when most of the movies were black &amp; white?", Mario asked.  
"Yeah. Now they're all in color.".

After the movie, they went to Wendy's to eat. They started talking about current events, past adventures &amp; other things.

"So, what did happen to the Stonekillers?", Pauline brought up.  
"I scared them off twelve years ago. They never bothered us again.", he looked back in nostalgia. "I think lt was two years ago they got busted for gang violence.".

She was impressed that Mario could hold his own against three gangsters.

"Are they still in prison?".  
"I don't really know.".  
"Maybe they did rob you. They're the only people you know who can get in.".  
"It's possible, but why would they wait so long?".  
"Yeah. Maybe lt's not them.".  
"Why did they have to take lt all? They could have left us something.", he said in angst.  
"I can pay for the next one. I saved up.", she offered.  
"No. Save your money. I just need a few paychecks &amp; we'll be good to go.".  
"Are you sure?".  
"Yeah, yeah.", he assured with full certainty.  
"Alright". "Hey, remember Coney Island, when we made Luigi ride the Cyclone?".

Mario laughed in remembrance.

"Oh, yeah. I think we made him cry.".  
"He enjoys lt now.".  
"Thanks to us. I didn't want him to miss out on the fun.".

He paused as though he got an idea.

"You know, you were just as pretty then as you are now.".

She blushed at that as Mario looked up at the ceiling, happily in thought.

"We've been friends for a long time.", he said. "But I don't think we've found all of the prizes in the cereal box.".  
"What are you talking about?".

Pauline had a good idea of what he meant, but there was the possibility that he was just speaking nonsense, as he did time to time.

"Nothing". "Hey", he quickly said, pulling out a piece of paper.

There were numbers on one side &amp; corresponding dares on the other, the latter for only him to see.

"Pick a number. Each one is a different dare for me to do.".

This wasn't the first time that he played a kid-like game with her, so she wasn't put off in the least. She took a look at the numbers &amp; chose instantly.

"7", she said.

He took the paper &amp; looked at his side.

"Ask you out? I'm not going to do that.", he said.  
"Why not?", she wondered, almost looking sad.  
"Because I already know you're going to say, 'yes'.", he smiled confidently.  
"What makes you say that?", she retorted.  
"Because the paper is transparent.".

He knew he had her &amp; he leaned over the table, closing his eyes but still smiling. To no surprise, they both kissed &amp; officially became date partners. The empty restaurant had no comment of their affection.

Later on, they reunited with Luigi &amp; Vol outside of their home. Luigi looked off at something. They idly chatted while Luigi stared off. Mario was about to ask, when he saw what Luigi did.

"I found the guys that took our money.", Luigi said.


	7. Pointing Fingers

There were black figures up on their roof, enterring their building through a roof patch.

"Hey yous. This is Stonekillers territory. Get lost.", said Mario.

The figures took note of the brothers, but continued on.

"Alright. One warning is all I'm giving. We're coming in. There better not be anyone inside.".  
"Maybe we ought to let them go, Mario. They could be armed.", said Luigi, cowerring.  
"No, we lost all of our hard-earned money because of these clowns. We're going in.".  
"We are not going in there without a plan.", said Vol.  
"Plans are for people who don't take action.", said Mario, going in through the front door.

Luigi, having more love for his brother than fear for his life, followed. Vol, not wanting to be a sitting duck, followed as well. Inside, they heard the sounds of objects moving around with no subtlety. Mario turned on the hallway light &amp; grabbed a metal bat, kept by the door in case of intruders.

"Not such a smart idea, now that I think about lt.", said Luigi, since robbers could just come in through the front door &amp; take the bat.

They progressed to the front door &amp; Mario opened lt, stepping inside. They went into the living room &amp; there were the robbers, taking anything that they could find. They were not masked, but the brothers didn't recognize any of them.

"I know yous are going to put our stuff back where lt belongs.", said Mario, in a one-warning-only tone.

"No chance. Yous're getting yousr just desserts.".

"What? I don't even... oh, yous're the Diplomats.", he realized.

"That's right. Yous tricked us into a Stonekiller ambush. I lost a few important guys. And I'm taking my compensation.".

"I'm sorry we used yous, but we were trying to get rid of them. Don't take our stuff. How are we going to pay rent?".

"That's not my problem. Normally, we'd just kill yous. But, I decided to give yous a break since we find Mario Brothers Plumbing to be a useful &amp; reliable service.".

"That's not...", began Luigi, but stopped himself.

They didn't even seem to notice.

"Come on. Just accept the apology. That's what real men do.".

They ignored him.

"How about a deal then?".

"What could you possibly have to bargain?".

"We're still technically Stonekillers. We could give you information. No set-ups this time.".

"Alright, but I'll need some insurance. Yous could easily just screw us over again.".

Mario had no ideas, so he went off of the top of his head, so as not to risk jeopardizing the deal.

"We go on adventures. If you accompany us, we can't run away lf we try anything.".

"Alright, deal.".

The man extended his hand.

"Whoa, whoa. We're about to enter a binding contract. And I take contracts seriously. I am not shaking hands with someone whose name I don't know.".

"Teraud".

They shook hands &amp; closed the deal.

"I'll bring the money tomorrow.".

"All of lt?".

"Half of lt. I'll bring the other half when I see your trustworthiness.".

"Fine by me.".

"We'll be around. If you try to go anywhere at all, I'll know.". "I take contracts seriously too'.", were Teraud's last words, as the four Diplomats left through the front door empty-handed.

"Did that just happen?", asked Luigi, dumbfounded.

"Do you see what you're getting us into, Mario?", said Vol.

"I just saved our stuff &amp; our funds. Am I really supposed to regret that?".

"How about letting us in on your plans? Luigi almost ruined everything.".

"What plans? That's all improv acting. I'm not even in on lt myself.".

"Are we really supposed to sit there, not knowing what to say?", asked Luigi.

"I didn't see any of the other Diplomats talking. Should I risk us coming up with three conflicting stories? I'm the fast thinker here.".

"We're supposed to be in this together. Why do you get to do everything?".

"I don't know any other way. My way works. If lt's not broken, don't fix lt. We can't afford to risk anything new when we're dealing with dangerous criminals.".

"This is a bad neighborhood.", said Luigi.

"I don't like getting tangled with this stuff.", said Vol.

"Me neither. If we have to use unconventional tactics to get rid of them, then so be lt.".

"On the bright side, we'll be able to go places tomorrow.", said Luigi.

"Oh, shoot. I left Pauline outside.".

They went outside to look for her, but she wasn't around.

"Pauline?", Mario called.


End file.
